Listen yes, the Mime has the potential to be an incredibly powerful class. However, the amount of effort and skill often needed to unlock and use this class is usually just not worth it.

The Onion Knight and Freelancer is usually always just the basic default class that can do a little bit of everything. Sure, it’s not terrible, but normally you want to upgrade it to something else as soon as you can. Although with a TON of work it can become powerful in the War of the Lions version of FFT.

The Knight class has always been the sad little brother of the Paladin and other, way cooler, tank/attacking classes. This is especially true in FF: Tactics where its abilities were just not that useful or reliable.

The Berserker lives up to its name by often being uncontrollable glass cannons. Honestly though, you’re usually better off with other damage dealing classes such as the much more reliable, and similar, Warrior.

Oracle is kind of hard to rank because it hasn’t quite yet landed on a solid role. It is always a mage though that sometimes specializes in status effects, or direct damage. There are other more exciting mage classes to choose from.

The Gambler/Corsair begins a run of jobs that sound awesome on paper but are not as great in practice. Other than FFXI’s Corsair (which is actually a pretty solid job with controllable luck), the Gambler is generally not worth the trouble as it can sometimes hurt your own party.

Thieves have one really awesome niche: they steal/find stuff, and sometimes that stuff can be extremely rare and awesome. However that advantage is usually tempered by weak offensive ability as compared to other damage dealing jobs.

Another job that sounds awesome on paper. You get to bring monsters to battle, cool! Except when you realize that in most instances, another actual party member is better.

Dancers have generally been a support class that either debuffs enemies (Tactics) and/or heal allies (FFXI). You always like the idea of having a Dancer, but it isn’t always the best choice. Damn good sub-job in FFXI though.

The Machinist has generally been a ranged gun job that either deals additional status effects, or in the case of FFXIV, uses automatons to control the tide of battle. If you just use them like a gimped Ranger, you’ll be disappointed. But if you take advantage of their unique perks, they can be quite powerful. Also Mustadio from FF: Tactics was a beast.

Bards are one of the classic support characters from the Final Fantasy series but until the MMOs came out, they were often situational at best. As of FFXIV though, they have found a nice balance of still supporting the team, while also dealing respectable damage with bows.

Geomancer is kind of a strange job that relies on bells and terrain to operate at its best. Even when the conditions are right, it’s sometimes hard to fit a Geomancer in. That being said, the job is currently a dominant force in Final Fantasy XI and is rarely ever useless in other games.

Dragoon/Lancers have had a very up and down history in Final Fantasy. For nearly the entirety of FFXI it was a laughing stock and the running gag in FFXIV is that spends more time on the floor than upright. In FF: Tactics, it requires a ton of JP to be remotely useful. At their best though, Dragoons are a lethal mix of power and mobility.

The ultimate Jack of all trades and master of none job. Red Mage really is just that. It can do a little of everything. If that’s what you need in your party than great! Otherwise, look elsewhere. If we were ranking hats though, Red Mage would be alone at the top of this list.

The Mystic Knight doesn’t get nearly enough love. The few times it has appeared, it was a really powerful spell-sword, and in FFXI (Rune Fencer) it has evolved to be a really unique tanking class that specializes in mitigating magic damage.

Samurai can sometimes be a little more complicated to use, especially in Final Fantasy Tactics with their Great Katana abilities, but they have always been powerful attackers when used properly.

Like the Samurai, Monks have a history of being reliable, hardy damage dealers. Although they are a bit one-dimensional (yanno, just punching stuff usually), they carry a lethal mix of high damage and high HP. Also anyone who played FF; Tactics remembers how awesome Hamedo was.

In most instances (other than FFXIV), the Scholar/Sage is a powerful mage that can use select White and Black magic. While they can’t swing a sword like a Red Mage, they trade that versatility by being able to match both White and Black Mages in power. Their only flaw being that they usually lack spell depth.

Don’t let its simplicity fool you, the simple Chemist is actually a great (and underrated) healer. They get the most out of consumable items and in select games, can throw them from safety to allies. In FF: Tactics, they are also a source of solid ranged damage with their guns.

Warriors in the Final Fantasy universe are simple to use, tough, and reliable fighters. Whether it’s taking damage or dishing it out, Warriors always pull their weight.

With their ability to combine powerful physical attacks with Black Magic, the Dark Knight is always a force to be reckoned with. Normally a glass cannon that expends/absorbs HP to deal extra damage, in FFXIV it evolved into a tank job that can take shots now too.

Time Magic such as Haste and Stop has always been one of the most useful and powerful schools of magic in the Final Fantasy series, and Time Mages are the masters of these spells.

There’s nothing better than risk-free damage. Archers and Rangers are the best at picking off enemies from a safe distance which is a skill that always comes in handy.

Ninja are more than just awesome looking. They can a physical force with their dual-wielded weapons, utilize Shurikens for ranged damage, use magic with their Ninjutsu spells, and in some recent games such as FFXI and Explorers, can even tank with their evasion. Truly one of the best and most versatile jobs ever.

Blue Mages begin as empty vessels with a ton of potential. While they start off weak, if you take the time to seek out new Blue Magic, Blue Mages can transform into a class that is capable of doing almost anything and to great effect.

There are few things more satisfying in Final Fantasy than summoning an avatar to wreak havoc. Some of the most powerful attacks in Final Fantasy history are made possible through Summoners.

Paladins mix high defense, high HP, and self-restoration through White Magic to be the perfect tank. They are everything Knights wish they could be and more. Tanking is a dirty job but Paladins are always prepared to step up and protect their teammates.

Black Mages are built to do one thing and do it well. They destroy. Equipped with powerful Black Magic, few jobs have ever been able to rival the sheer destructive power of the Black Mage.

Where would we all be without White Mages? Who else is better suited to toss a Cure our way, and Raise us up when we are down? They are built to save our asses, and without them, we wouldn’t last long which is why they are the number one Final Fantasy job of all time!

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Mime

Listen, yes, the Mime has the potential to be an incredibly powerful job. However, the amount of effort and skill often needed to unlock and use this class is usually just not worth it.

Ed has been a proud member of the Twinfinite staff since 2014. He plays everything on everything but is particularly fond of JRPGs, MMOs, and sports. He holds a B.A. in history and political science and a M.S. in education all from the University at Albany.